


Lesser Beasts

by sansakatara



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: cersei is a vindictive bitch, first time writing her pov, hope i did her justice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:01:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28068996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sansakatara/pseuds/sansakatara
Summary: It took them three days to find the Stark brat.
Relationships: Arya Stark & Sansa Stark, Cersei Lannister & Arya Stark, Cersei Lannister & Ned Stark, Cersei Lannister & Sansa Stark, Cersei Lannister/Jaime Lannister, Robert Baratheon & Cersei Lannister
Kudos: 11





	Lesser Beasts

A/N; This is a Ned chapter rewritten from Cersei's perspective. (You know the awful one, with Lady.) Mainly canon-compliant, although some dialogue has been changed.

It took them three days to find the Stark brat.

If Cersei was not so infuriated over what that thing did to her son, she might have found Arya Stark’s behaviour a little amusing. Running off like that – was she not meant to be the daughter of the Hand, and sister to the future queen? Perhaps the girl’s wildness was simply evidence that Lord Eddard let his scrawny daughter do as she pleased.

 _Scrawny, indeed._ Cersei feels her jaw slightly clench as her eyes fix upon the girl. Her long face is splotchy and her eyes are red. Her hair is a frightful tangle too - but Cersei saw enough of her at Winterfell to know that is not entirely unusual; although the Lady Catelyn had made an effort otherwise for their feasts. The girl is alone in the middle of the room, save for one of Stark’s men beside her; a grave expression on his face.

Suddenly, Eddard Stark bursts into the room and ignoring everyone - rushes to his daughter. “I’m sorry-sorry-sorry.” The words come out of Arya Stark in a rush.

_Yes, you’ll be sorry. You and your father._

“Shh, sweetling. It’s all right.” Ned Stark breaks apart from their embrace, but one hand is still on his girl’s shoulder. “What is the meaning of this? Why was my daughter not brought to me at once?” He flared.

Cersei pounced. “How dare you speak to your king in that manner!”

Cersei has little love for Robert. Why would she – when she already has Jaime, her other half? It is Jaime who had given Cersei her three precious lion cubs- Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen. Jaime, who wants her and who whispers her name in the dark and who proved that he would be willing to go so far as to kill for her.

But just as she must put up with Robert for now until Joff’s crown was secure, Cersei needed him for this.

“Quiet, Cersei.” Robert snapped. Cersei wonders if he is so wroth because they have kept him from his drink. Her husband addressed his friend. “I’m sorry, Ned. I didn’t mean to frighten your daughter. We just need to get this business sorted.”

“And what business is that?” Stark demanded; his voice cold. Cersei squeezed Joffrey’s shoulder before stepping forward.

“You know, Stark. Your daughter’s beast nearly ripped my son's hand off. Could have left him a cripple for life, or worse." 

“That’s not true!” The girl exploded. “She only bit him a little. He was hurting Mycah.” A little. Cersei’s lip curled. She had got enough out of Joff to know that the wolf’s bite was not little. “Joff told us what happened. He said that you and your butcher’s boy attacked him with clubs before you set your wolf on him."

Cersei knows that it was Joffrey who struck first. It does not surprise her. Nor does she care, ultimately. Besides, nobody with sense would think that a scrawny girl with a stick would attack a prince with a sword. But many lies often have a foundation of truth, and in the end, it was true that the direwolf had attacked her son. And no matter what Joff had done, he was a prince.

“That’s not true.” Arya looked like she was on the brink of tears. “Yes, it is!” Joffrey retorted. "They all attacked me, and she threw Lion's Tooth in the river!". Joffrey stared straight ahead as he spoke.

“Liar!” Arya screamed.

“Shut up!” 

"Enough!” Robert roared. His voice cut through the children’s shouts. He looked towards Arya. “Now child, speak, and tell your king what happened. And you,” He cast a look at Joffrey who was glaring at Arya. “Will speak when she is finished. Until then, be quiet if you know what’s good for you.”

Arya took a deep breath, before diving into her story. When she got to the part where she threw Joff’s sword in the river, Lord Renly could scarce contain his mirth. Cersei could sense Robert’s temper rising – after all these years together and concealed bruises, she knew it well enough to know.

“Barristan, escort my brother outside.” “No need, Barristan. I can see myself out.” Renly turned and bowed to Joff. “Perhaps later you’ll tell me how a nine-year-old girl the size of a wet rat managed to disarm you with a broom handle and throw your sword in the river." His laughter remained in the room as he left, like a poisonous scent. Cersei hoped he would stumble in the dark and break his neck.

Her son’s face was pale but despite this, he spoke without his words shaking. That was good- it was important never to show weakness. When her son was finished, Robert rose from his seat with the air of the man who would rather be anywhere else in the seven kingdoms.

“Seven hells! What am I supposed to do with this? He tells me one thing; she tells me another!”

“They were not the only ones there.” Ned Stark replied. Cersei felt herself start as she realized that the eldest Stark girl had joined them. Ned gestured to his girl, who like Robert, looked like she wanted to be anywhere else.

“Sansa, come here.” Cersei felt her eyebrows raise. He was really getting sweet Sansa to speak? Did he not care about her shaming his betrothed? Cersei knew full well how men hated to be shamed. All men were alike, even when they were still cubs like her son. She herself understood how shame could burn within you.

She watched as the girl cast two frightened looks – first at her sister, then at Joffrey. “I d-don’t know. I didn’t see, it all happened so fast-“ She said tearfully.

“LIAR!” Before anyone can stop her, Sansa’s sister starts striking her with tiny, angry fists. “Arya, stop it!” Ned Stark shouted, while his man pulled his daughter off his eldest. Sansa’s face was ashen and she was shaking from her sister’s assault. “Are you hurt?” Ned Stark asked, but his words did not seem to reach her.

Still, the girl’s outburst gave Cersei what she wanted. “That girl is as wild as that filthy animal of hers," Cersei declared. She turned to Robert. “I want her punished.”

“Seven hells, Cersei.” Robert rubbed his sweaty brow. “What would you have me do? Whip her? Children fight.”

 _My father had my grandfather’s mistress stripped naked and paraded through the streets because she dared wear my lady grandmother’s jewels._ Cersei lifted her chin, defiant. “Joffrey will bear these scars for the rest of his life.”

She saw Robert’s contemptuous eyes on Joffrey. Later, she would think how Robert rarely looked at Joffrey with pride. “So, he will. Well, all men must have scars- just don’t tell others how you got yours. Ned, see that your girl is dealt with. I’ll see to my son myself.” Stark sighed with relief. “Gladly, Your Grace.”

Cersei was not done here. “And what of the direwolf? What of the beast that savaged your heir?” Robert frowned. “I’d forgotten the damn wolf.” Stark’s man, who had remained silent until then – spoke up. “We found no trace of the direwolf, Your Grace.” 

"No? So be it.” But Cersei was not so easily shaken. The lovely idea struck her like a whip.

“We have another wolf.” She could almost taste the triumph. It took them a moment to understand, but when they did Robert only shrugged. “Do as you will.”

“Robert, you cannot mean this.” Stark protested. Her husband had reached his limit. "Enough, Ned, I will hear no more. A direwolf is a savage beast. Sooner or later, it would have turned on your girl the same way the other did on my son. Get her a dog, she'll be happier for it."

“He doesn’t mean Lady, does he?” Sansa’s eyes were scared. She saw her father’s answer on his face, and you could almost see something crumble within her. Cersei felt something dangerously close to pity stir within her- but she had to do this.

She did not like Stark. She did not like that Robert had asked him to be his Hand. She did not like that his girl made her son look weak. And what better way to send a message than by killing the sigil of his house?

"No," she said. "No, not Lady, Lady didn't bite anybody, she's good . . . " "Lady wasn't there," Arya shouted angrily. "You leave her alone!"

Her son’s betrothed had lost control of herself now. "Stop them," Sansa pleaded, "don't let them do it, please, please, it wasn't Lady, it was Nymeria, Arya did it, you can't, it wasn't Lady, don't let them hurt Lady, I'll make her be good, I promise, I promise . . . " Ned Stark took his sobbing daughter into his arms. His eyes, begging, were on Robert. "Please, Robert. For the love you bear me. For the love you bore my sister. Please."

Cersei dug her fingernails at Lord Eddard’s mention of Lyanna Stark. Robert looked at his friend for a long moment, before turning to her. “Damn you, woman.”

He was so weak; Cersei couldn’t help but thinking. _And I thought you loved Ned Stark well, husband._ “Do it yourself, then.” The iciness had returned to Ned’s voice. “At least be man enough to do it yourself.”

Instead, Robert looked at the man who he had fostered and rebelled with, before storming from the room.

Cersei smiled. “Where is the direwolf?”

“Chained up outside, Your Grace.”

“Send for Ilyn Payne.” “

No.” Ned’s voice gave Cersei a start. "Jory, take the girls back to their rooms and bring me Ice."

Cersei’s eyes narrowed. “Is this some sort of trick?” “The wolf is of the North,” Stark responds. “She deserves better than a butcher.”

Stark keeps his word. Although it vexes her that she never got the pelt – Stark having gotten the sentimental notion to have the wolf taken North, Cersei savours the memory of Stark's face the rest of the way to Kingslanding.

They were lions, and sooner or later, lesser beasts like dire wolfs, would have to bow to them.


End file.
